I am a Tombstone Tourist: someone who loves to wander cemeteries. I find it akin to visiting a museum: an opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture, all in a tranquil outdoor setting. This blog is about cemetery culture, art, history, issues of death, and genealogy - subjects of current relevance. I usually find something that intrigues me and makes me want to dig deeper. Care to join me? Read on...

Friday, January 18, 2013

The Poe Toaster: Nevermore…

Edgar Allan Poe

Poe's Monument

Tomorrow
will be the 204th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, and most probably
the fourth year in a row that the Poe Toaster has failed to appear. What began
in the late forties, became an annual tradition for 60 years, but now it appears
to be over.

The Poe Toaster?

Martell Cognac

Every year since the late forties, (some say the 1930’s), a
mysterious figure dressed in black, with a white scarf and wide brimmed hat,
appeared in the early morning hours to visit Poe’s grave.The man would always leave three red
roses, one for Poe, his wife, Virginia, and her mother, Maria Clemm, all buried
there. He had been known to leave notes at the grave, one that said simply, “Edgar, I haven’t forgotten you.”Then he would pour a glass of Martell
cognac, toast the writer, and leave the half empty bottle of cognac on Poe’s
grave. Who was he?It’s a mystery
quite befitting Poe - one that has not been solved.

Boston Harbor

Fitting,
for Edgar Allan Poe lived a life of mystery.He was born in Boston on January 19, 1809 to actors.His father, David Poe, Jr., abandoned
the family one year later.His
mother, Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, died of tuberculosis when he was two
years old.Poe was taken in and
raised by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia.

Tamerlane & Other Poems

Poe
attended college for one semester, and went to West Point for a short time. A collection of his poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems, were published anonymously in 1827.For several years, Poe wrote for
literary journals and periodicals that published his works.In 1835, he began working for the
Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, Virginia.

The Raven

In
1845, Poe’s poem, The Raven,
was published and became an immediate success.His themes of death and the macabre electrified readers. Other famous works included The Pit
and the Pendulum, and The
Tell-Tale Heart. Poe is given
credit for writing the first modern detective story, The Murders in the Rue
Morgue.

Virginia Clemm Poe

Poe
married his 13-year-old first cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm on September 22,
1835.It is thought that Edgar and
Virginal had a relationship more in keeping as that of a brother and sister,
than husband and wife.

Several
of Poe’s writings are said to be about Virginia.The most popular is the poem, Annabel Lee, where it's believed she was the inspiration for
the main character.The poem, Lenore was also inspired by Virginia, as was the short story, Eleonora.

Virginia's Grave

Virginia
began to show signs of consumption in 1842.As the disease progressed, she became an invalid, and Poe
began to drink heavily. Virginia died of tuberculosis on January 30, 1847 in
New York.She was 24. After her
death, Poe’s behavior became even more erratic and unstable.

Washington College Hospital

Poe in 1849

On
October 3, 1849, Poe was discovered wandering the streets of Baltimore, wearing
someone else’s clothes and "in great distress, and... in need of
immediate assistance",according
to Joseph W. Walker, the man who found him.Poe was taken to Washington College Hospital but was never
coherent long enough to tell anyone what had happened to him.Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849
at the age of 40.

Written by a rival- Rufus Griswold

But
even in death, mystery surrounded him.It was never known for sure what caused Poe’s death because the medial
records and his death certificate have been lost. Rumors as to the cause of his
death include, alcoholism, heart congestion, cholera, syphilis, rabies, brain
disease, even suicide.

Westminster Burial Grounds

Poe's Stone

Poe
was buried in Westminster Hall and Burial Grounds in his grandfather’s lot, but
was moved to a more prominent spot in 1875.On January 19, 1885 the remains of his wife Virginia,
were exhumed and buried next to Poe’s. Then, in the late forties, the Poe Toaster began his annual
pilgrimage.His visits were first
mentioned in passing in the Evening Sun of Baltimore Newspaper in 1950.

Tell-Tale Heart

Over
160 years after his death, people are still haunted by Poe’s writings,
understanding that the suffering of his characters blended with his own
personal torment and angst.

Poe's House & Museum

Several
of the homes he lived in have been preserved and are now museums, including the
Poe House and Museum* in Baltimore, where the Poe Toaster made his yearly
pilgrimages to Poe’s grave. The Toaster could arrive any time between midnight
and 5:30 A.M. on Poe’s birthday. Although museum curator, Jeff Jerome has held
a vigil for the Poe Toaster each January 19th since the late 1970’s,
he says he does not know who the Toaster was.

A
note from 1993 says, “The torch will be passed.”In 1999 another note left at the grave declared that the
original toaster had died in 1998, and his son would be continuing the
tradition.

The
Toaster’s last official visit to Poe’s grave was January 19, 2009, 150 years
after Poe’s death, and the 200th Anniversary of Poe’s birth.Fans have continued to wait for the
Toaster for the past three years; on January 19th, 2010, again in 2011, and
finally, last year, declared that if he did not appear in 2012, the tradition
was officially over.

And
so it appears we may never know who the Poe Toaster was, nor what influence Poe
had on his life to keep him coming back each year to celebrate the
writer’s birthday.

But there are
so few mysteries left in this world, I for one, would like to think his
identity is safe with the ages, even if his visits shall be Nevermore…

About Me

I
love wine and will take any chance to sip, savor and share it! Hence, Joy’s JOY
of Wine http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com,
a weekly blog about all things wine. I've been in the industry for 15
years as a winery owner, marketing director, speaker, writer, wine judge, and
100% vino girl!

I'm
also a professional freelance magazine and book writer uncorking articles about
wine, food, history, travel, cemetery history and culture. My interest in
cemetery culture led to another great, or maybe I should say
"grave" gig, my weekly blog: A Grave Interest http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com where I get to travel around the country and speak about cemetery topics for genealogy, history and
education conferences.

I suppose you could say that wine is my
passion, and cemeteries are my diversion ... into another world.

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